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What Are Your Current Dislikes With Your Coal Stoker/Stove?

Posted: Sun. Jan. 29, 2006 1:44 pm
by lime4x4
harman magnum stoker

Dislikes: top vent gets in the way of filling the hopper with 5 gallon bucket from the side. Also the hopper should be a little wider always spill some coal when filling from a 5 gallon bucket.Needs better controls.I feel it should have a bigger cfm blower

LIKES: built like a tank. Not a bad looking stove to have a living area
Can cook off the top of the stove using a pan of course..Makes great beef stew..lol
has the option built in to vent the air to a single registor away from the stove
Also if the factory control box fails u can just plug all the motors into a receptical and you'll have heat yet

Re: What Are Your Current Dislikes With Your Coal Stoker/Stove?

Posted: Sun. Jan. 29, 2006 2:08 pm
by kirk
Lime4x4,

It sounds like you got your problems worked out with your magnum. I was reading on an earlier thread from last week you were ready to take it back to the dealer. I have a Harman stoker boiler that uses the same system to feed and burn coal. It does take alittle getting used to in order to achieve the best result. There is honestly nothing about the boiler that I do not like. I load it on Sunday and I don't have to touch it until Wednesday. One thing that could be improved would be the documentation that came with the boiler. It was very poor. Most importantly it did not mention anything at all about the restrictor plate. Nothing in the instructions or the parts list.
Terry

Re: What Are Your Current Dislikes With Your Coal Stoker/Stove?

Posted: Sun. Jan. 29, 2006 4:42 pm
by Chris
Only had my Reading Allegheny for a week but here's my 2 cents:

Pros-

-Very little to go wrong on this model, very simple design.
-Every motor and control module is easily accessible, nothing enclosed.
-Huge ash pan, empties every 3 or 4 days.
-Solid build but I think most coal stoves probably are.
-Dealer has no trouble getting parts, some of the parts are generic and can be purchased locally or on the internet.

Cons-

-A little bigger than other models (not always a bad thing).
-The manual is very poor. If you're new to stokers, explanations of operation are vague. Set-up procedures go back and forth between chimney and power vent not really explaining which is which. Book is just half sheets of paper held together with one staple. Your dropping $2200 + on a stove and getting a half arsed 10 cent manual - come on. :evil: